Antoinette

   In May 1906 Leon Levavasseur and Captain Ferdinand Ferber founded the Societe Anonyme Antoinette to build fast motorboats; it was named for the daughter of Jules Gastambide, just as the Mercedes firm in Germany was named after the daughter of the Spanish ambassador stationed in Germany. Among the shareholders were Jules Gastambide, Chairman; Louis Bleriot, Deputy Chairman; Burgeat; Mengin; Demanest; and several others.

   Antoinette I: In December 1906 the Board allowed Levavasseur to build one aeroplane for Captain Ferber; they did not believe in aviation, but thought the project would help promote their engines. The construction of the monoplane was undertaken in February 1907 after much research and testing of models. The structure foreshadowed the later more famous Antoinette designs: a long slender wooden fuselage of triangular section with wooden diagonal bracing; pylon-braced multi-spar wings (in this case, 5 main spars) with innumerable light built-up ribs; false ribs and false spars; centrally-mounted undercarriage with skid; propeller built of oval aluminum blades riveted to a steel shaft: Antoinette motor; triangular fin and tailplane.
   But No I was very different from its successors: a forward stabilizer was to have been mounted directly above the engine, with Bleriot-style tip elevators; the wings were elliptical and cupped like spoons. These wings were exhibited at the 1908 Paris Salon; the machine itself was later completed or nearly completed, but never tested; Levavasseur was persuaded by his shareholders to work on other designs.

   (Span: 10 m; length: 15.5 m; wing area: 30 sqm; gross weight: 500 kg; propeller diameter/pitch: 1.2/1.2 m)